1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to boat trailers, and in particular to devices for centering a boat on a boat trailer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the major problems involved in loading a boat onto a boat trailer is getting the boat properly aligned on the trailer. The trailer is first backed down a boat ramp until the rear end of the trailer is under the water. The boat is then floated over the submerged part of the trailer. Usually, the bow of the boat is tied to a winch at the front of the trailer, and the bow of the boat is pulled onto the trailer. Wave action and wind often make it difficult to properly align the boat on the trailer.
One method of insuring that the boat is properly aligned on the trailer involves the use of outrigger arms rididly mounted on the sides of the trailer at the rear. The bow of the boat is guided between the two outrigger arms, and the arms keep the boat aligned with the trailer while the boat is pulled onto the trailer.
The distance between the two arms must be only slightly larger than the beam of the boat. The narrow distance between the arms makes it difficult to guide the bow of the boat between the arms. There are movable outrigger arms proposed in the patented art. However, drawbacks exist to these proposals.